Tuesday, 29 November 2016

Lagos Assembly approves death sentence for kidnappers

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday approved death sentence for kidnappers, whose victims died in their custody.

The approval followed the adoption of a report on a bill entitled; “A
Bill for a Law to Provide for the Prohibition of the Act of Kidnapping
and for Other Connected Purposes.”

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the bill was sponsored by the Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa.

The bill prescribed life sentence to kidnappers, whose victims did not die in their custody.
The bill states that any person, who kidnaps, abducts, detains, captures
or takes another person by any means or tricks with intent to demand
ransom or do anything against his/her will, commits an offence, and
liable on conviction to death sentence.

The bill, which criminalised attempt to kidnap, also stipulated life
imprisonment for anyone who makes attempt to kidnap another person.

Also, the bill is against false representation to release a kidnapped or
abducted person. This attracts seven years imprisonment.

The lawmakers also approved 25 years imprisonment to whoever threatens
to kidnap another person through phone call, e-mail, text message or any
other means of communication.

The bill provides that any person, who knowingly or wilfully allows or
permits his premises, building or a place or belonging to which he has
control of, to be used for the purposes of keeping a person kidnapped is
guilty of an offence under the law and liable to 14 years imprisonment
without an option of fine.

NAN reports that the lawmakers amended some sections of the bill during the debate on the committee report before adoption.

The bill, aimed at ensuring zero tolerance for kidnapping, however,
awaits third reading before it will be sent to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode
for assent.